Cherries – Dynamite in a Small Package

Cherries are a fruit closely related to plums and peaches – they all have hard seed kernels inside. Cherries are believed to have existed since before the Stone Age.

Roman legionnaires, while on the march through Great Britain and Europe, were known to have used cherries as a source of nutrition.

Cherries basically fall into two categories – those that are sweet, usually the ones you buy in the store, or those that are sour, easily grown in your own garden.

From a taste perspective, the former is more pleasing but from a health perspective, the sour cherry is better because it has less kilojoules and a greater concentration of Vitamin C.

Because they contain a great concentration of antioxidants, cherries have a number of health benefits. it contains bioactive compounds that contribute to your general health and help to reduce the risk of contracting dread diseases such as cancer and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes.

Cherries are a rich source of Vitamin C and several other vitamins and antioxidants. Although cherries have a higher concentration of sugar, the fibre in them makes them a good snack option for those wanting to maintain good blood sugar levels.

Anthocyanin is an antioxidant found in cherries that helps to protect a lot of the body’s internal systems. Studies into this antioxidant have confirmed that the sour cherries help in the relief of connective tissue diseases, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune neurodegenerative disease.

It helps by reducing inflammation and so can also prevent the muscle pain that can be caused by exercise. The antioxidant, if consumed regularly, can keep muscles healthy and slow the degeneration of the muscles.

In one study, mice that were prone to colon cancer were fed cherries and the results were encouraging. It was found that the number of tumours in the mice eating cherries was greatly reduced. It is not just when it comes to disease that cherries are found to be helpful. If you battle to sleep, you may find that cherries help.

This is not because of any particular compound in the cherries but due to the overall nutritional benefit and immune boosting effect that cherries have.

This means that, even if eaten with breakfast, cherries can help improve your sleep patterns. They also work to reduce cholesterol levels, can aid in weight loss, regulate blood sugar and provide an energy boost. Cherries are a fruit that can be eaten daily without guilt to take advantage of their extraordinary health benefits.